Social And Political Life Chapter 10 Law And Social Justice

Construction workers - They are receiving below the minimum wages laid down by law.

Factory workers - They are too receiving below the minimum wages.

No, the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy have not got justice even after 30 years of the accident.
The people are still fighting for safe drinking water, for health care facilities and jobs for the people poisoned by Union Carbide.

It would cause displacement for the entire family, health care, education and availibility of basic necessities would be the prime objectives in the new locality.

The government is responsible for the welfare of its people.
(i)For this, it performs several functions. One of the most important functions of the government is to ensure that these public facilities (water, electricity, public transport, sanitation, etc.) are made available to everyone.
(ii)It makes laws to protect the interests of workers. The Minimum Wages Act specifies that wages should not be below a specified minimum. The government enforces this law so that employers may not exploit their workers by paying them low wages.
(iii)Through making, enforcing and upholding such laws the government tries to control the activities of individuals or private companies so as to ensure social justice.

The sources of environmental pollution in our area:

(a) Air – transport and factories emitting more hazardous gases.

(b) Water – disposal of factories waste in Yamuna river, immersion of idols, throwing of garbage in Yamuna river.

(c) Soil – use of fertilizers and pesticidesfor cultivation.

Suggestions

(i) Old vehicles should be banned. Diesel vehicles should be prohibited. Pollution norms should be checked strictly.

(ii)Factories should be shifted out of the town area.

(iii)Idol immersion, waste disposal in Yamuna river should be banned.

C.

In October 2006

A.

On 2 December 1984

C.

Methyl–Isocyanite

A.

American company

D.

Ship-breaking industry

developing

weaker

safe

environmental

red

construction

minimum

Minimum Wages Act specifies that wages should not be below a specified minimum limit.

Tips: -

V. Imp.

The states are:
(i)Maharashtra
(ii)Karnataka 
(iii)Tamil Nadu

Even today 74% of child domestic workers are under the age of 16.

Tips: -

V. Imp.

The Bhopal gas tragedy brought the issue of environment to the forefront.

CNG stands for Compressed Natural Gas.

The countries are: India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Old ships no longer in use contain potentially dangerous and harmful substances.

One worker can easily replace another. Since there is so much unemployment, there are many workers who are willing to work in unsafe conditions in return for a wage.

Tips: -

V. Imp.

The Bhopal disaster brought the issue of environment to the forefront: 
Several thousands of persons who were not associated with the factory in any way were greatly affected because of the poisonous gases leaked from the plant. This made people realise that the existing laws, though weak, only covered the individual worker and not persons who might be injured due to industrial accidents.

Tips: -

V. Imp.

Many workers are denied fair wages wages by their employers. Because they badly need work, workers have no bargaining power and are paid low wages.

(i)About Rs 150 per day

(ii)Low

(iii)The Ministry of Labour.

A major role of the government is to control the activities of private companies by making, enforcing and upholding laws so as to prevent unfair practices and ensure social justice.
This means that the government has to make ‘appropriate laws’ and also has to enforce the laws. Laws that are weak and poorly enforced can cause serious harm, as the Bhopal gas tragedy showed.

Examples:

(i)Urinating at public places

(ii)Employing children under 14 years of age as domestic helpers

(iii)Giving and taking dowry at the time of marriage

First, the safety laws were lax in India. Second, even these weak safety laws were not enforced.
Government officials refused to recognise the plant as hazardous and allowed it to come up in a populated locality. When some municipal officials in Bhopal objected that the installation of an MIC production unit in 1978 was a safety violation, the position of the government was that the state needs the continued investment of the Bhopal plant, which provides jobs.
It was unthinkable, according to them, to ask UC to shift to cleaner technology or safer procedures. Government inspectors continued to approve the procedures in the plant, even when repeated incidents of leaks from the plant made it obvious to everybody that things were seriously wrong.

According to the 2001 census, over 12 million children in India aged between 5 and 14 work in various occupations including hazardous ones. In October

Companies and contractors are able to violate environmental laws because these laws are not strictly enforced.

Two ways:

(i)Afforestation

(ii)Usage of renewable energy